Jeff Poor

Former President Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance at Sunday night’s Golden Globe Awards to introduce Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” which was nominated for best dramatic film.

Clinton received a raucous standing ovation from those attending the awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“A tough fight to push a bill through a bitterly divided House of Representatives. Winning it required the president to make a lot of unsavory deals that had nothing to do with the big issue,” Clinton said.

“President Lincoln struggle to abolish slavery reminds us that enduring progress is forged in a cauldron of both principle and compromise,” he continued.

“This brilliant film shows us how he did it and gives us hope that we can do it again. In ‘Lincoln’ we see a man more interesting than the legend, and a far better guide for future presidents. Every hard fought effort to perfect our Union has demanded the same sane combination of steely resolve and necessary compromises that Lincoln mastered to preserve the Union and end slavery. We are all here tonight because he did.”